In Celebration of Louis Braille's Bicentennial

The year 2009 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Louis Braille. To mark this momentous occasion, Susan Jay Spungin, retired vice president for international programs and special projects at the American Foundation for the Blind, and former treasurer of the World Blind Union, is serving as the guest editor of the JVIB Louis Braille bicentennial celebration. Special essays written by notable members of the field of visual impairment and blindness in the United States and abroad will be featured in each 2009 JVIB issue and will be available here as each is published. Please check back often to read these seminal essays on Louis Braille and his code, free of charge.

December 2009

Lessons from the Development of Computer Braille Code—Chris Grey

Happy Birthday, Louis: Concluding the Celebration—Susan Jay Spungin

October-November 2009

Unifying the English Braille Codes—Darleen Bogart

September 2009

Braille and Revolution, Diderot and Enlightenment, and the Pursuit of Happiness—Stuart H. Wittenstein

August 2009

Where's The Library? Teaching Braille Reading with a Meaning-oriented Focus—Anna M. Swenson

July 2009

Braille Becomes Electric: The Trials and Tribulations of Braille Translation Software—Joe Sullivan

June 2009

The Need for Braille Standards in University Preparation Programs—Frances Mary D'Andrea, Sandra Lewis, and L. Penny Rosenblum

May 2009

A Parent's Perspective on the Importance of Braille for Success in Life—Mary Zabelski

April 2009

The Difference the Dots Make: A Personal History with Braille—Marc Maurer

March 2009

Supporting Students' Literacy Through Data-Driven Decision-Making and Ongoing Assessment of Achievement—M. Cay Holbrook

February 2009

Challenges and Solutions in Teaching Braille in an Online-Education Model—Sheila Amato

January 2009

Past and Present Remembrances of Louis Braille—Susan Jay Spungin